Archive for March, 2009

Students who suffer serious broken bones or require chemotherapy treatment for cancer and their medical conditions keep them at home for an extended stay can continue their studies.

Patrice Banks of WCPSS Counseling and Student Services directs homebound services which provide school services for students who doctors say need to be at home for a month or longer for their medical recovery.

Sanderson High has hosted a delegation of four teachers and eight students from Zhonghua High School in Nanjing, China, as part of an ongoing exchange program between the two schools.

The Chinese students have been visiting at Sanderson March 21-30. The students have been staying with a family of a Sanderson student.

To prepare for the visitors, Sanderson developed an Asian Studies class which focused on China. Part of the time in the class is devoted to helping our students learn Chinese so they can be good hosts

The goal of the exchange program has been to break down misconceptions about the people from each country and to establish a relationship for working on joint academic endeavors. One such example would be since both cities have air pollution and clean water issues that students from each school could study. Then the students could exchange information and see if their communities were developing solutions to the problem. Teachers say they could make assignments where the students may study authors and histories and compare what each culture says about the same author or era of time. The schools hope to establish an electronic link.

The exchange program between the two schools started in 2006 when Sanderson was invited to a meeting about possible school partnerships with China. In the spring of 2007 a delegation of four teachers from Zhonghua High School in Nanjing, China visited Sanderson. Then Sanderson sent a delegation of four folks to Nanjing in October of 2007 where the schools signed the formal documents establishing the partnership. In the spring of 2008 Sanderson hosted two visitors from the school to prepare for the current delegation.

The Sanderson students that have served as hosts to the current Chinese visitors will be a part of a reciprocal hosting arrangement in the fall on 2009 when Sanderson sends a delegation of four teachers and eight students to Nanjing. The Asian studies class will help prepare these students for their visit to China.

Eleven WCPSS middle school students will compete in the NC State Geography Bee. At each WCPSS middle school students competed to earn their school’s geography bee title. These winners then took a test with high scorers qualifying to compete at the statewide bee.

The students who will compete in the state geography bee on April 3 include:

The students who earned top honors in their school geography bee include:

Apex Middle School: Marco Valencia, 8th Grade

Carroll Middle School: John Overby, 8th Grade

Dillard Drive Middle School: Mallory Norton, 7th Grade

Durant Road Middle School: Ben Millward, 6th Grade

East Garner Middle School: Michael Mason, 7th Grade

Holly Ridge Middle School: Lexi Schimelfinig, 8th Grade

Leesville Road Middle School: Korey Singer, 8th Grade

Ligon Middle School: Shantan Krovvidi, 7th Grade

Martin Middle School: Will Paynter, 8th Grade

Moore Square Middle School: Joshua Katsikis, 8th Grade

Wake Forest-Rolesville Middle School: Isaiah Hertzig, 7th Grade

West Millbrook Middle School: Benjamin Bailey, 7th Grade

Each year thousands of schools in the United States participate in the National Geographic Bee using materials prepared by the National Geographic Society. The contest is designed to encourage teachers to include geography in their classrooms, spark student interest in the subject, and increase public awareness about geography. You can find more information on the Geography Bee here.

The Southeast Raleigh High Performing Arts Department presents OLIVER at 8 p.m. on April 3 and 4 and 4 p.m. on April 5 in the school auditorium. Inspired by the 80’s, the production includes the running man, a graffiti den, and – in addition to the awesome SE Raleigh High students – a coach and Assistant Principal! To order tickets online, go to www.brownpapertickets.com/event/58550 OR purchase at the door! $10 General Admission/$5 for students, teachers, seniors, or military. For more information, contact Southeast Raleigh High School Theatre Director Julya M Mirro at jmirro@wcpss.net

Enloe High will present its spring musical, THE PAJAMA GAME, in the school auditorium with performances at 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 15 through Saturday, April 18. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students.

The Millbrook High School Performing Arts Department will present ANNIE on April 16, 17, 18 at the Millbrook High School Auditorium. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students and can be purchased at the door. For more information, contact Megan Boyd at mboyd@wcpss.net

The Athens Drive Theatre Department will present GUYS AND DOLLS on April 23-25 at 7 p.m. in the school auditorium. The story is set in the city of Runyonland and is filled with energetic dance numbers, a fight scene, gamblers, and two love stories. Tickets: $10.00 at the door.

The Middle Creek High Fine Arts Department will present the musical JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT with shows in the school auditorium at 8 p.m., April 23-25. Tickets are $10 and will be on sale about a week before the show. For more information, contact, teacher Athena M. Reaves at 919-661-5468.

Wakefield High will present Barry Manilow’s COPACABANA! at 7 p.m., April 23-25 and at 2:30 p.m., April 25. Tickets are $7-$10. You can find more information at www.wakefieldtheatre.net

Joyner Elementary first graders are putting on a musical program called THE UNITY TREE at 6:45 p.m., April 28 at the school. There will be 110 children in the program, dressed as cats and dogs. 85 students will have speaking parts and several songs will be sung by everyone. They are directed by Joyner Music Teacher Lola Youngman.

The Ligon Middle School Encore Performance Ensemble will present the drama KORCZAK’S CHILDREN, at 2:30 p.m. on April 30, and at 7 p.m. on May 1 and 2. This piece is set during the Nazi Occupation of Poland. Dr. Korczak, writer, educator, physician and passionate advocate for children tries to keep the Jewish boys and girls of his famed Warsaw orphanage alive and hopeful in the face of unbelievable terror. Against the rules of the ghetto, Korczak lets his orphans stage a magical play, THE POST OFFICE, to teach them about he one adult subject he has not yet taught- death. As the play is rehearsed, rumors about deportation to “camps” become a reality and Korczak must decide who can be saved and who must go on the final journey together.

The Middle Creek Theatre Department will present Theatre III/IV Showcase in the school auditorium at 7 p.m. on May 1. For more information, contact, teacher Athena M. Reaves at 919-661-5468.

Cary High School Drama classes perform one act plays in the school auditorium at 7 p.m. on May 7. For more information call 380-3615 or visit http://sites.google.com/site/chspabc/

Dillard Drive Middle School’s first musical production, ANNIE, JR. will be performed on Thursday, May 7 and Friday, May 8 at 6:30 p.m. in the school auditorium. Tickets will be $5 at the door. Over 100 students and staff members are involved in this production. Cast members have been rehearsing, sharpening their vocals and perfecting their dance numbers. The directors and parents are busily preparing props, costumes, sets, lighting, sound and music. For more information, contact Toni Ahrens at tahrens@wcpss.net

Wakefield Middle School Theatre Arts will be presenting THE MUSIC MAN on May 7, 8, & 9. The show includes dance, band, drama, orchestra, and chorus students. For more information, contact Meredith Lyons at 562.3500 or mlyons@wcpss.net

The Middle Creek Theatre Department will present the Quik Witz Improv Troupe in the school auditorium at 7:30 p.m. on May 21. For more information, contact, teacher Athena M. Reaves at 919-661-5468.

The High Five Regional Partnership for High School Excellence has a new video public service announcement that will be provided area television stations. You can view the video here and read about the importance of high school graduation here.

The High Five Partnership includes five area school districts: Wake County Public School System, Durham Public Schools, Johnston County Schools, Orange County Schools, and Chapel Hill/Carrboro City Schools, who have been working with five business partners: Blue Cross Blue Shield, Capitol Broadcasting, News and Observer, Sas and Progress Energy.

Their vision: All students graduate with a high school diploma, well prepared to pursue higher education and a career of their choice.

You can learn more about working together for Wake County students here.

Leesville Road High DECA Members (an association of Marketing Students) were recognized as state winners at the NC Career Development Conference.

Student State Winners included:

Nicole Resch for Creative Marketing Project

Daniel Walser, Jackson Tucker and Brian Hunter for Business and Financial Services Marketing Research Project

Melike Atalay and Nasya Sturdivant for Advertising Campaign

Isaac Jordan for Quick Serve Restaurant Management

Kevin Carney for Sports and Entertainment Marketing Management

Students competed among thousands of DECA members state-wide in various marketing-related events. These Leesville Road students will move on to represent NC at the International DECA Competition in Anaheim, CA April 28-May 2, 2009.

Leesville Road High DECA Advisor, Gwen Shaw-Deberry, was awarded the NC DECA Clifton Belcher Professional Division Award. Marketing Educators/DECA Advisors from across NC nominated Shaw-Deberry for this honor based on her outstanding contributions to the organization and Marketing curriculum.

Thanks to Gwen Shaw-Deberry for submitting this information on GotNews.

Seventh-grade students at Leesville Road Middle School have built models of different human body systems such as cardiovascular, respiratory, skeletal and nervous systems to be displayed in a Human Body Systems Exhibit at the school. The exhibit will be on display in the school’s media center on March 31 and April 1.

The school’s seventh-grade science teams received a grant from the Triangle Community Foundation’s Biogen Idec Mini-Grants in Science Education Fund to create the Human Body Systems Exhibit.

The exhibit is a collaborative effort on the part of all the seventh-grade science teams, and ties in with the seventh-grade curriculum unit on the human body. The student-built models will be accompanied by posters, educational videos, Power Point presentations and game software.

The grant was for a sum of $2,080 dollars. A small percentage went toward technology supplies while the rest covered the cost of materials including clay, plaster of paris, nuts, bolts, wires and poster board. The students were encouraged to use recycled materials in their projects.

Board of Education members meeting in their Student Achievement Committee heard a presentation from representatives of a committee that have been studying ways for the school system to create time for teachers to work together to boost student achievement.

Time committee representatives James Overman, Jennifer Lanane and Sarah Martin discuss the importance of creating time for teachers to work in professional learning communities or learning teams to better serve students.